Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1504875
Bros. Post Production Creative Services in Burbank, California, who finds going to theaters to be a nerve-wracking experi- ence. "I know it's not playing at reference. I walked through the projection room at one multiplex in Orange County where the faders were set between 4.2 and 4.9! I find it extremely frustrating, even when watching movies that I haven't worked on. I know it's playing low and that it'd be great to accurately hear the creators' inspired work. That's part of the fun. It's actually why, as a film mixer, I've been watching films at home more often these days. I can control my volume knob. I know that the room is tuned correctly and that my subwoofer is powerful enough," he said. REFERENCE LEVEL 7 Why aren't theaters playing films at reference level? The issue of theatrical play- back levels has plagued the film industry for many years. In fact, it was covered by Matt Foglia, CAS, in "Film Loudness Levels Chal- lenged" for the Summer 2014 issue of CAS Quarterly. Most recently, it's come to light publicly with audiences complaining about low dialogue levels on a newly released animated superhero film. A producer on the film was very vocal in encouraging audience members to ask their local theater's pro- jectionist to play back the film at reference level 7 because this is the level at which the film was mixed. " R e fe re n ce l eve l 7 " i s n' t a ra n d o m setting that one producer prefers; it's the industry norm. But what does "reference level 7" mean? Theaters using a Dolby Cinema Processor for playback should set the fader level to 7.0. In a properly calibrated theater, level 7.0 will play the film back at the same reference level at which the film was mixed. According to the Dolby website, "Dolby Atmos mix rooms should be capable of reproducing 85dB C from each speaker at the mix position. Calibrating your room to 85dB C means sending a -20dBFS pink noise signal to a single speaker and adjusting the loudspeaker levels (and, if required, frequency response) until the speaker pro- duces 85dB SPL when measured with an SPL meter, C-weighted, slow, measured at mix position." This is the standard calibration for professional theatrical dub stages, so decisions about dialogue, music, and effects levels are made while the film is playing back at 85dB SPL. For the audience to hear the intended mix, it should be played back at that same level. Two-time Oscar-winning sound super- visor/re-recording mixer Mark Mangini, MPSE, at Formosa Group in Hollywood, Cal- ifornia, said, "As sound professionals, we can hear that films we've mixed are not playing correctly at certain theaters. I've even seen the memos from the corporate offices of these exhibitors stating that the projectionist or the theater chain shall not play films in those theaters at the level intended but should play them at a reduced level. Most theater chains specify that it should be reduced to a fader level of 6 or 5.5. For every whole digit on the Dolby fader, you lose three decibels of playback volume." While 3dB doesn't seem like a lot, it's a noticeable difference. Consider that a change of +/- 6dB SPL is perceived as a 50% increase/decrease in volume. "If the projectionist sets the Dolby fader to level 5, the film is playing approximately 6dB down or about half as loud as you mixed it," explained Mangini. 'THIS MOVIE IS TOO LOUD' Are exhibitors opting for lower playback levels because audiences feel the sound is too loud overall? Or is it just one overly loud moment that ruins the experience? "You could have a perfectly listenable film, expertly mixed, but it might only take one extraordinarily loud moment — like a gunshot, an explosion, or a music sting on a horror shock — that sends a patron to the lobby saying, 'This movie is too loud.' Of course, there is also the fact that some mov- ies ARE too loud," Mangini said. "It would appear that there is no economic incentive to play movies at the level they're supposed to play because of the complaints a theater may get from one…or many patrons. As such, we must ask ourselves as creatives, are we making movies too loud?" Sound supervisor/re-recording mixer Brent Kiser, CAS, MPSE, owner of Unbridled Sound in Los Angeles, California, noted that people watch films at home more than they do in a theater, so the nearfield mix (with less dynamic range and louder lines of dia- logue) is what they're used to. "That's what the viewer experiences 90% of the time. So on bigger action films, when the director re- ally wants you to feel like you're in that loud environment, it can feel very unpleasant in a theater at 85dB. Are these movies made with only the director in mind or is it about designing a pleasurable experience for the moviegoer? At home, a viewer can turn Brent Kiser. Mark Mangini. 39 F A L L Q 3 I S S U E T E C H